If, in order to obtain a perfectly legal abortion, a woman must permit herself to be penetrated by an ultrasound probe — in whatever way, or for however long, the technician and doctor wish to do so, that seems to me to be what statute 21-114 of the Oklahoma Criminal Code defines as rape by instrumentation. This act (putting an object in a vagina, anus or mouth against that person’s will) is explicitly defined as rape in the first or second degree.
Coercing a woman into being raped with an object, for whatever ...

Transgender folks spend a lot of time explaining our identities to other people, and a lot more time being asked to explain how we knew we were trans. But, for myself and my trans friends I’ve talked about this with, we’re baffled by the idea of knowing that the gender you were assigned at birth matches, at least closely enough, the gender you identify as. To experience gender in this way baffles us just as much as I imagine transgender experience confuses cisgender folks.

I was talking about this with my friend Finn who gave me the idea for this post. It used to be that the question, “How do you know you’re not gay?” was a sarcastic retort. Now, a ...

Transgender folks spend a lot of time explaining our identities to other people, and a lot more time being asked to explain how we knew we were trans. But, for myself and my trans friends I’ve talked ...

On Saturday, “at the Center for Arizona Policy Family dinner before 1600 guests,” Brewer signed SB 1305, the first-in-the nation bill that would prohibit insurers in the state-run health care exchange “from providing coverage for abortions unless the coverage is offered as a separate optional rider for which an additional insurance premium is charged.”

The new Arizona law is a radical mini Stupak. It prevents insurers from offering abortion services, except under the most extreme circumstances, even if only private money ...

“Imagine 150 fraternity brothers packed into a container the size of a three-bedroom house. Announce you are breaking hallowed traditions by taking away their cigarettes and admitting women. Then lock the doors and push the container deep into the sea, for ...

The U.S. Navy is planning to allow women to serve on its submarines for the first time by the end of 2011. The announcement came at the same time as news that cigarettes will be banned on ...

Anna over at Jezebel has a fantastic post about how to participate in comment discussions about race. She offers ten tips, and I think they’re spot on.

1. Remember that it’s not about you personally. Discussions of race often revolve around systems that have developed throughout history – not what one individual has chosen to do or experienced. A post on, say, black Barbies and the fact that certain populations have not seen/are not seeing their realities represented in popular culture is not the place to complain or point out that you were sad as a child because there were no red-headed Barbies. Wait for a post on red-headed Barbies.

Oklahoma passed two extreme anti-choice laws Tuesday after the House and Senate voted to override the governor’s vetoes. This was the second attempt to pass these bills – both laws were already passed and struck down on a technicality last year.

The first is the country’s most extreme ultrasound law yet. Women seeking abortions will be forced to undergo ultrasounds. Doctors will have to set up the monitor so the woman can see it, and must describe the heart, limbs, and organs of the fetus. There are not even exceptions in the case of rape or incest. This goes beyond already invasive and paternalistic measures in other states that require women to undergo ultrasounds and require doctors to give their ...

Oklahoma passed two extreme anti-choice laws Tuesday after the House and Senate voted to override the governor’s vetoes. This was the second attempt to pass these bills – both laws were already passed and struck down ...

Next Monday, Lori and I will be speaking at the Rethinking Virginity conference at Harvard. Hosted by Harvard University Queer Students and Allies and masterminded by Lena Chen, the subject of last week’s Feministing Five, the conference is a whole day of panels and workshops that will cover everything from the historical roots of our obsession with virginity to what that obsession means for queer folks to what healthy sexuality looks like in practice. Lori and I are both very excited to be a part of a stellar line up of speakers that includes respected academics, professional activists, sex educators and kickass feminist bloggers. It’s not every day you get a professor from Harvard Divinity School and the editor ...

Next Monday, Lori and I will be speaking at the Rethinking Virginity conference at Harvard. Hosted by Harvard University Queer Students and Allies and masterminded by Lena Chen, the subject of last week’s Feministing Five, the ...